Sid Meier's Civilization VII: A VR Revolution on Meta Quest 3
Civilization VII (Civ VII) is making its VR debut this Spring 2025, exclusively on the Meta Quest 3 and 3S headsets. This marks the franchise's first foray into virtual and mixed reality gaming.
Meta Quest 3 Exclusivity
2K Games and Firaxis Games announced the exciting news during the Civ World Summit Event on February 8, 2025. Dennis Shirk, Executive Franchise Producer, expressed enthusiasm for this new era of strategic gameplay. Chris Pruett, Meta's Director of Games, highlighted the synergy between Civ VII VR and Meta's expanding mixed reality offerings, calling it a "genuine Civ experience" tailored for dedicated strategy gamers. Noteworthy is the absence of a PSVR2 release, despite Civ VII's presence on PlayStation consoles.
Immersive Gameplay and Multiplayer Options
Civ VII VR transports players to a virtual command table, offering a unique perspective on the game world. Players can zoom in for detailed views or survey the broader strategic landscape, mimicking the experience of a tabletop game. The game supports both immersive VR and mixed reality modes, allowing seamless transitions between the two. 2K Games describes the experience: "In virtual reality, players are transported to an ornate museum; in mixed reality, the Command Table adapts to its placement in a player's physical space."
Single-player, co-op, and competitive multiplayer modes are available, supporting up to four players with Meta Quest 3/3S headsets. Players can team up against AI opponents or compete directly against each other. The VR/MR experience extends to multiplayer interactions, allowing players to see each other as their chosen world leaders. Online multiplayer requires a 2K and Meta account.
Addressing Player Feedback
Firaxis Games is actively addressing player feedback gathered during Civ VII's early access period (February 6, 2025, for Deluxe/Founder's Edition owners). The team is prioritizing UI improvements, focusing on intuitiveness, map readability, and overall polish. Future updates will also incorporate community-requested features like multiplayer teams and diverse map types. A quality-of-life update is planned for March, addressing UI, AI balance, diplomacy, crises, and bug fixes.
Release Information
Civilization VII VR is slated for release in Spring 2025 on Meta Quest 3 and 3S, with a specific date yet to be announced. The standard version of Civilization VII launched in early access and will have its full release on February 11, 2025, for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, and PC. For more details, visit our Civilization VII page.
